Arsene Wenger fears ‘tired’ Lions will dent England’s Euro 2016 bid

Arsene Wenger has warned Roy Hodgson will compromise England’s chances of winning Euro 2016 if he insists on senior players dropping down to the Under-21s next summer.

Under-21 manager Gareth Southgate is able to pick any player born on or after January 1 1992, meaning Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jack Wilshere and Calum Chambers are among those eligible for the European Championship in June who have already made their senior debuts. The finals will be held in Czech Republic from June 17 to June 30 and teams could play a maximum of five games should they reach the latter stages.

The 2015-16 Premier League season is scheduled to start on August 9 and Wenger believes Hodgson could be risking burnout of his younger players should they play for the Under-21s and then go into a full domestic campaign with Euro 2016 at the end.

“If Roy Hodgson wants to do well at the European Championship, I don’t think it’s in his interest to overload the players during the summer preceding the European Championship,” he said. “The European Under-21 [tournament starts] on June 17.

Arsenal v Manchester United: Key Battles

Arsenal v Manchester United: Key Battles

1/5
Jack Wilshere v Marouane Fellaini

Arsene Wenger will have surely been monitoring Jack Wilshere’s recent performances for England, and will have seen how well the 22-year-old has been performing in a defensive role.
Will Wenger play him in a similar position against United? It might make sense, given how often the Gunners’ lack of a defensively-minded midfielder has been their undoing against the top sides.
But the Frenchman is a famously stubborn tactician, meaning Wilshere will more than likely find himself further forward and up against Marouane Fellaini.
The Belgian has improved of late, after an anonymous season under David Moyes, and will be keen to assert his dominance over Wilshere to continue the upward trend.

2/5
Alexis Sanchez v Chris Smalling

With 12 goals to his name, Alexis Sanchez has been Arsenal’s best player this season – the time he has taken to adapt to life in the Premier League has been remarkably short.
Before the Scotland game, Sanchez may have been looking forward to coming up against Chris Smalling. The United defender’s form had been lukewarm to say the least, a fact compounded by his reckless sending off in the Manchester Derby.
But for England on Tuesday, Smalling reminded us of his ability with an assured performance. He will most likely be deployed at right-back against Arsenal – a comfortable but not natural position – and will need great presence of mind to deal with Sanchez’s threat.

3/5
Danny Welbeck v Michael Carrick

If Danny Welbeck’s 10 goals for club and country this season haven’t done enough to make Van Gaal doubt his decision sell the striker to Arsenal, then a goal against United on Saturday surely will.
And with the defensive crisis that is rumbling on at Old Trafford, Welbeck may never have a better chance to punish his former employers. In the absence of Marcos Rojo, Phil Jones, Jonny Evans and Daley Blind, Michael Carrick looks set to fill in at centre-back.
However, Carrick, a natural midfielder, may well struggle against the pace and deftness of his ex-team-mate.

4/5
Per Mertesacker v Wayne Rooney

Even when he’s in patchy form, Wayne Rooney is a handful for any defender. But after the international break the England captain has had – breaking the 100 cap barrier, scoring three goals to take him past Jimmy Greaves’ goalscoring record and leading his country to a resounding victory over the Auld Enemy – Per Mertesacker will have to deal with a player at the top of his game.
With Radamel Falcao out and Angel Di Maria doubtful, Rooney may well return to Manchester United’s attack, rather than the midfield role Louis Van Gaal has used him in at times this season.
It means the all-firing Rooney could come into direct contact with Mertesacker, who has only managed to contribute towards three clean sheets in the ten Premier League games he’s played so far.

5/5
Louis Van Gaal v Arsene Wenger v

It’s no secret that both Arsenal and United are strongest in attack. Will this make for free-scoring match? It’s hard to say.
Both managers will, of course, want to win, but both would be forgiven if they settled for a draw. Wenger’s dismal record against the top sides might make him cautious to avoid losing again, while Van Gaal could adopt a conservative approach to quell the current turbulence at the club.
The timing of the first goal could play an important role. If either side scores early, the other will surely react, meaning goals could come in their numbers, especially as the stretched game will exploit the defensive deficiencies at both ends.
But no Arsenal-Manchester United tie has ever been predictable, suggesting the victor may well be decided by whichever manager reacts more effectively to the game’s twists and turns.

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“The training starts at the beginning of July, then you count 50 to 55 games and then going to the European Championship without any holiday. I don’t think that’s ideal for the preparation of the English European campaign.”

Asked whether he would leave it to his players to decide or would he say: ‘Come on, Roy…’, Wenger replied: “Come on, Roy!”